Current Staff Members
Tamer Thabet
Ph.D. Candidate at Antwerp University – Belgium, and visiting international scholar to Brock University.
Status/position: Associate Researcher
Department: History
Lab tasks/responsibilities: Prototype development, filmmaking and documentation
Research interests: Ludology, Game Studies and Narratology. My thesis research is concerned with cybernarratology and computer games as storytellers.
Tom Mitrovic
Tom is an MA student in the Department of History and a research associate in the Simulating History Research Lab at Brock University. He is currently conducting research in a project which is using GPS technology and hand-held devices to promote the history of Niagara and the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. Tom is also involved as researcher in a joint project with the University of Western Ontario on collective intelligence and history.
Status/position: Graduate student / Research Associate
Faculty/Department: History
Lab tasks/responsibilities: Research and Project Development
Research interests: Soviet History, Environmental History, War of 1812, Humanities and Computing
Spencer Roberts
Spencer is currently pursuing a combined BA in English Language, Literature and History, as well as a minor in Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse Studies. His interest in the Digital Humanities is focused on improving the exposure of the humanities to gaming and the potential it holds for educating. His current projects include development of a mixed-reality game based in downtown St. Catharines, investigation into the ability to develop an English Lit game, and creating communication bridges between various digital humanities departments around the world.
Status/position: Programmer/Research Associate
Department: History/English/Writing
Lab tasks/responsibilities: Systems, writing, research
Research interests: Digital Media, Interactive Education, Inter-Disciplinary Communication
Adam Christensen
Adam is currently completing his BA in History at Brock University. He is a research associate for the Simulating History Lab. His research interests include digital culture, intellectual property, education, technological history and video game studies. He currently working on an Augmented Reality game set in Downtown St. Catharines. After completing his undergraduate degree, Adam intends to pursue a degree in education.
Status/position: Research Associate
Department: History
Lab tasks/responsibilities: Research, Game Designs, Writing
Research interests: Digital culture, intellectual property, education, technological history and video game studies
John Bachynski
Games are not just for kids. They can provide the player with insight into how systems function so that these are fun, dynamic and interactive.
Status/position: Graduate Student / Research Assistant
Department: History
Lab tasks/responsibilities: Design Games and Develop Prototypes – Art and Audio Creation – Quality Assurance and Testing
Research interests: Computer Simulations – Propaganda and Persuasion – Game Design
Shawn Graham
I am a Registered Professional Archaeologist in North America, and a Member of the Institute of Field Archaeologists in the UK. I won my PhD from the School of Human and Environmental Science at the University of Reading in the UK in 2002 for my work on the complex network dynamics of the ancient Tiber Valley brick industry. I blog on games and digital media for research and learning here.
Status/position: Research Associate
Department: History
Lab tasks/responsibilities: Working remotely, Shawn manages this website, reviews the literature on Gaming for Education, explores new media and games, and contributes to the research and writing of this group.
Research interests: My interest in digital media concerns the paradigm-changing potentials for teaching, learning, and research in history and archaeology. I also am exploring agent based simulations for understanding various aspects of Roman history and archaeology. Finally, I am experimenting in historical scenario-building for commercial games and in augmented-reality games such as PMOG, to achieve better learning outcomes for my students.
Past Staff Members
Andrew McNiven
I’ve grown up as an avid gamer and believe that it is essential to have played a wide variety of games to truly understand design principles. I enjoy examining the addictiveness and engaging qualities of games and simulations but am most interested in how games can be used as educational tools (specifically in history but also across several subject areas). In the future I hope to bring these kinds of opportunities into schools as a high school teacher as alternative ways of learning and understanding.
Status/position: Pre-Service Education Student / Research Assistant
Department: Education/History
Lab tasks/responsibilities: Game Design, Research, Prototype Art
Research interests: Educational Applications of Games, Historical Understanding, Addictive Qualities of Games
Nicki Darbyson
I was a member of the Simulating history research team from May- September 2007. I am currently working towards a master’s degree in history at Brock University. I am interested in history and education, and finding innovative ways to communicate history in schools.
Status/position: Graduate Student
Faculty/Department: History
Lab tasks/responsibilities: As a member of the Simulating History Research team, my primary task was to conduct research on Montreal in 1885, specifically on society. I created a catalogue on clothing and public attitudes towards smallpox vaccinations based on class, gender and ethnicity. I also wrote the advisor responses in the game.
My other main task in the lab was administrative work such as aiding in the research and writing of grants, team contracts and design documents, as well as planning and organizing our schedules.
Research interests: My primary research interest is Canadian social history. I focus on women’s history, and am currently writing my master’s thesis on the role of women in the abolition of capital punishment in Canada.